Eastern Hancock’s Ruby White was named first-team Academic All-State by the IBCA.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Mt. Vernon’s Ellery Minch and Eastern Hancock’s Ruby White were among the senior girls basketball players selected as first-team Academic All-State by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
In all, the IBCA selected 76 players, 38 boys and 38 girls, for its all-state team. An additional 422 players (218 boys, 2024 girls) were cited as honorable mention, including Minch’s teammate Katelynn Hawkins and White’s teammate Sammie Bolding.
In total, 498 players received some level of recognition in this year’s IBCA Academic All-State program, which was announced on Tuesday.
The IBCA Academic All-State program is one where academic prowess and athletic prowess both are considered in the selections. Items such as grade-point average, academic class rank and SAT or ACT scores are considered along with athletic performance in areas such as points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game.
“The quality of these student-athletes shows that success in academics and success in athletics are not separate entities,” IBCA executive director Marty Johnson said. “Rather, in many cases, a player’s success in the classroom directly contributes to his or her success on the floor.”
IBCA-member head coaches from schools across the state may nominate their senior student-athletes who meet criteria that include a 3.50 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale, a class rank in the upper 25 percent of one’s class and either an SAT score of 1100 (on the reading and math sections) or an ACT composite score of 24. Once nominations were received, an IBCA committee reviewed the information and determined awards for first team and honorable mention.
The IBCA has selected an Academic All-State team for boys since 1973. The program was expanded to include a girls’ Academic All-State team in 1980.
Girls’ first-team players for 2024 are: Madisyn Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence; Allie Boyer, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian; Kaleigh Butts, Perry Meridian; Mary Cox, Monrovia; Morgan Cross, Northridge; Alexandra Cutka, Wheeler; Alexandra DeLisle, Speedway; Skylar Ferry, Hanover Central; Lauren Foster, Indian Creek; Daniella Galvez, Speedway; Becca Gerdt, Valparaiso; Sarah Gick, Benton Central; Rachel Harshman, Mooresville; Emma Hart, New Castle; Carley Higgins, Paoli; Peyton Honchar, Morgan Township; Grace King, Indianapolis Lutheran; Taylor Lewis, Indianapolis Cathedral; Victoria Mann, Bloomington Lighthouse Christian; Elle Marble, Jeffersonville; Nicole Mears, Franklin County; Ellery Minch, Mt. Vernon (Fortville); Josie Page, Wood Memorial; Sara Parkison, Clinton Central; Abagail Rousey, Bloomington Lighthouse Christian; Camryn Runner, Hamilton Heights; Mary Ryan, Oldenburg Academy; Emma Schipp, Jasper; Molly Schulte, South Spencer; Alyssa Simpson, Rising Sun; Emma Sperry, Frankton; Kendall Sterling, Seymour; Rachel Tolen, Benton Central; Taylor Turpin, Shoals; Kate Weber, Oldenburg Academy; Hope Welsh, South Central (Union Mills); Ruby White , Eastern Hancock; and Ava Wilson, Shelbyville.
Boys’ first-team players for 2024 are: Isaac Andrews, Wapahani; Jaskirat Banwait, Whiteland; Sam Essegian, Whitko; Ashton Federspiel, Norwell; Grant Ford, Wabash; Evan Gagnon, North Newton; Cayden Gehlhausen, Evansville North; Noah Godlevske, Bedford North Lawrence; Nolan Hackleman, North Putnam; Aiden Hibbard, Elkhart Christian Academy; Lowell Hillis, Lewis Cass; Clayton Hull, Madison-Grant; Drew Kegerreis, Roncalli; Nolan Kinsella, Munster; Kyler Krull, Whitko; Caleb Lehrman, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger; Jamison Lewis, Southwestern (Hanover); Bryson Luter, Lawrence Central; Dylan Maxwell, East Central; Micah McClure, Adams Central; Jackson McGee, Leo; Drew McKaig, Pioneer; Jack Miller, Scottsburg; Mason Moulton, Yorktown; Zach Nash, Huntington North; Connor O’Guinn, Bloomington North; Grant Porath, Brownsburg; Spencer Proctor, Anderson; Brady Rife, Wheeler; Trever Roy, Hebron; Joey Schmitz, Center Grove; Carter Snepp, Southwestern (Shelby); Robert Sorensen, Guerin Catholic; Colin Taylor, New Castle; Kaden Temple, Eastern (Pekin); Kieran Tewari, Yorktown; Ethan Wolfe, NorthWood; and Ethan Zeiser, Maconaquah.
